PTI faces FIA probe over social media

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) encountered another legal setback as the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) initiated a crackdown on the party’s organised social media accounts.

The FIA issued a notification establishing a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe PTI’s digital media activities.

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The newly formed high-powered JIT will investigate allegations against PTI’s digital media wing, accused of conducting “organised propaganda” against the “state and its institutions.” The Inspector General (IG) of police Islamabad will lead the JIT as its convener.

The JIT includes members from both the FIA and the police. It is tasked with examining social media activities with “malicious intent”. The team will also make recommendations for legal action against those found responsible for the alleged propaganda.

The JIT formation follows a raid on PTI’s digital media wing conducted by the police and FIA. The raid led to the arrest of Ahmed Waqas Janjua from PTI, whose “suspicious” mobile phone activities triggered the investigation.

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PTI’s Information Secretary Rauf Hasan is also in custody related to this case.